As we explore Buenaventura Reserve in Ecuador, the roars of howler monkeys rumble through the forest, Nine-banded Armadillos rummage through the leaf litter, and Two-toed Sloths clamber about the trees. A foraging Nine-banded Armadillo bumbles into my feet, before realizing his mistake. (Photos by Narca) … Continue readingA Few Last Tidbits from Buenaventura Reserve
One of the finest hummingbird shows anywhere is here, on full and dazzling display from Buenaventura Reserve’s front porch. The number of individuals is astonishing –– far too many for the birds to waste much time in skirmishing. We tally eleven species of hummers during … Continue readingHummingbirds at Buenaventura Reserve
The treasures of Buenaventura don’t end with its umbrellabirds. Among its other notable personages is the endangered El Oro Parakeet, endemic to a small region in southwestern Ecuador. Its range is thought to be only 60 miles long from north to south, by only 6 … Continue readingBack to Buenaventura’s Birds
Ecuador’s Jocotoco Foundation and the US-based Rainforest Trust have purchased a final, key property to “create a permanent refuge for the largest population of Andean Condors in the Northern Andes.” Woolly Tapirs and Spectacled Bears also roam those hills. Andean Condor in Cayambe-Coca National Park … Continue readingGreat Conservation News from Ecuador!
Buenaventura Reserve protects a remnant patch of tropical cloud forest at about 3000 feet elevation. The cloud forest occupies a narrow zone, and most of the surrounding land holds seasonal tropical dry forest. Another jewel in the Jocotoco Foundation’s system of reserves, Buenaventura is small, … Continue readingBuenaventura’s Umbrellabirds
Deciduous dry forest, Tumbesian style, at Jorupe Reserve (Photos by Narca) Jorupe Reserve in extreme southwestern Ecuador is only a stone’s throw from Peru. One of the reserves under the aegis of the Jocotoco Foundation, Jorupe protects tropical deciduous forest, a habitat that has nearly … Continue readingHeading for Jorupe
We’ve come to Tapichalaca Reserve in southeastern Ecuador to meet a legend. The Jocotoco Antpitta (Photos by Narca) The Jocotoco Antpitta was only discovered in 1997, when ornithologist Robert Ridgely and a local guide were exploring the upper Chinchipe River drainage and heard an unfamiliar … Continue readingThe Jocotoco Antpitta